Golden
by Summers-Wind
Summary: Please don't let go tonight, Troy. Please.


_He's alone tonight,_

_With a bitter cup and,_

_He's undone tonight,_

_He's all used up_

Troy couldn't remember the last time that he was this alone; just him in his bedroom, starring at his blue walls. The walls were just the shade of blue that he felt, and he wanted to paint them white. A white color that would make him feel like he was in an asylum; just the place he felt like he should've been in.

Thick, warm, comforting whiskey from his parent's liquor cabinet, he chugged down his throat- straight from the bottle.

Troy began coughing vigorously, not use to this much liquid coming down his throat this fast. Sure, he's had water chugging contests with Chad and the guys before, but somehow this was different. It was awkward, and unnatural for a boy of nineteen.

The liquid felt soothing; it allowed him to feel like he was useful again. Like he was the playmaker once more. Wow, did he miss those days...

Now, he felt like he long ago passed his expiration date.

_He's been staring down the demons,_

_Who've been screaming he's just another so and so,_

_Another so and so_

"BETTER! MORE! HARDER! FASTER! That was SHIT! AGAIN! Give me 50! FASTER! HARDER! Your better than that!" His father's words of 'encouragement' ran through his memory, like a nightmare on repeat.

"What happened to the Troy that we knew? We didn't choose you for your jump shot, Captain. We chose you for what was in your head... We thought that you were better than that... we were wrong..." Chad's words filled with anguish and hate flooded Tory's mind.

"This ain't high school ball, BoltonQ We big boys now! You ain't the Golden Boy no more!" Troy could hear his coach laugh.

_You are golden,_

_You are golden, Child_

**"Great job!" Gabriella ran up behind Troy and hugged him. Troy hugged his girlfriend back, and it was followed by a kiss.**

**"That was awesome!" Chad beamed, as him and Troy gave each other high fives.**

**"Yeah, awesome!"**

**"Fantastic!"**

**"Thanks, Captain!"**

**"Great job, Cap'n!"**

**Troy was smacked on the back by the East High Wildcats.**

**The team.**

Troy's tongue moved around his mouth uncomfortably, and he licked his lips. The memories were so close. He could taste their sweetness. His eyes wandered over to the picture on his dresser.

**"Smile, thespians! My thespians! This is you're time! Tonight we shine!" Ms. Darbus called, as she took a final picture of their homeroom at the end of senior year at East High.**

_You are golden,_

_(Don't let go,)_

_(Don't let go tonight)_

_**Drive. Basketball. Park. Gun. Gun. Pretty shiney gun. Razor. Razor in the bathroom. Dripping blood. Blood trickling. **_

Out of proportion thoughts that a sober and healthy Troy wouldn't have, filled the young man's mind. He couldn't help them.

_**Stop! Stop! Stop! Don't! Go! Just go away. Gun. Go! Knife. Gabi. Tequila! Stop! Chad. Rope. Best Friend. Bro-- Lasso. Neck.**_

_There's a fear that burns,_

_Like trash inside_

_And you're ashamed of the curse,_

_That burns your eyes_

Troy didn't understand why everyone couldn't just like him like they use to. He didn't understand why life couldn't just fly without turbulence.

**"Is this the Bolton residence?"**

**"Yeah. Who's this?" Jack asked the other end of the line nonchalantly.**

**"This is the Albuquerque police."**

It's every athletes nightmare to get a call home. It's worse than failing grades. It's saying something like failing a drug test, or not being able to play anymore because of an injury.

**"Troy Bolton has been in an accident. We're not sure how it's affected his mental state, although he seems just fine physically. Why don't you come down to the hospital on 22'ond, and we'll talk.**

Injury from non- sports related causes; the type of injury that althletes always regret the most. The ones that wouldn't let them fall doing what they love.

"Coach." Troy whispered hoarsely from his hospital bed, his face covered in bruises and bandages.

_You've been hiding in your bedroom,_

_Hoping this isn't not how the story has to go_

_It's not the way it goes, It's your book now,_

_You're_

Troy lay in his bed, sleeping.

"Troy, Man. Why haven't you been at practice?" Chad asked.

Troy shrugged his shoulder.

"I can only cover your ss for so long."

"I know," Troy said simply.

"Then what are we going to do about it? That accident was weeks ago! You weren't even hurt in that accident, besides!"

_Golden,_

_You are golden, Child_

**"Championships, and school plays all in one night! That gotta be a challenge!" Someone exclaimed.**

**"Not for Troy!" Chad beamed proudly as his best friend, almost brother.**

_You are golden,_

_(Don't let go,)_

_(Don't let go tonight)_

Knife. Gabi. Rope. School Play. Needles. Basketball. Matches. Friends. Matches.

_You're a lonely soul,_

_Inlet of broken hearts_

_You're far from home,_

_It's a perfect place to start_

**Troy wandered the streets, finding his way to a bar, and flashing his fake ID from a 'friend' to a bouncer.**

**"Troy Bolton?" A man asked. "A long way from home, aren't we?"**

**Troy didn't respond at first.**

**"No." He whispered. "Not anymore.**

_(Yeah!)_

_(Burn,)_

_(Burn, Burn!)_

**Matches. Where did his parents keep those matches?**

_**Near the liquor cabinet. Oh! Liquor!**_

_So this final verse,_

_Is a contradiction_

_And the more we learn,_

_The less we know_

Match box! Ah hah! Open. Grab match. Strike. Burn on flesh.

Not working!

Something had happened to Troy that day of the accident, although no one was sure exactly what.

**"Chad," Gabriella whispered. "Troy's been acting really, really strange... I'm... I'm... scared."**

**"We haven't been kept in the loop about everything with him. But I guess that we're finally seeing for ourselves. You're right Gabi, it's scary... really scary." Chad admitted to his best friends girlfriend, and for once in his life, remained serious.**

_We've been talkin' about a feeling,_

_We both know inside but couldn't find the words_

_I couldn't write this verse,_

_I've seldom been so sure,_

_About anything before_

**Before the accident, Troy and Gabriella went on dates all of the time. And they always held the other's hand, swinging their arms back and forth.**

**"My fingers are tingling," Troy smiled, squeezing Gabriella's hand.**

**"Mine to." Gabriella giggled to her boyfriend.**

**"I've... I'm... It..." Troy stuttered.**

**Gabriella giggled, but not in a mean way.**

**"I don't know what it is, but whatever it is, I've never felt this way before.**

**"Me neither," Gabriella admitted.**

_Golden,_

_You are Golden, Child_

"Troy; they basketball boy!"

"You must be so proud!"

"Great boy you got there."

"Great head he's got on his shoulders."

"Where did that brain of his come from?"

"Just like his father!"

Voices of his parent's friends echoed in Troy's head, as he starred at the ceiling, as he picked the dirt from underneath his finger nails, and ran his hand through his hair. Troy looked like he hadn't bathed in years.

_You are Golden,_

_(Don't let go,)_

_(Don't let go tonight)_

**"I can't take the pressure! It's all too much! I'm not your playmaker anymore. I'm not a robot! I'm not perfect! So, stop acting like I am!" Troy screamed to the gang.**

**Everyone looked down at their feet; they had never seen that angry side of Troy before.**

Troy decided that all he needed was some fresh air.

He opened up his gigantic bedroom window, and stuttered, pushing out the screen. He stuttered once more, and fell straight out of his window.

_This world is a dead man down (Golden, you are,)_

_Every breath is a singing crown away, (Golden, Child, you are,)_

_Like some debilitated king, (Golden, don't let go,)_

_Don't let go tonight_

"Troy..." Gabriella grasped Troy's cold hand, barely feeling his pulse. She moved uncomfortably, her ears burning from the beeping of Troy's heart monitor.

"Don't go Troy... please..." Gabriella begged, no tears falling from her eyes. She felt her body freeze, freezing her emotions and everything else that lead to her heart.

"We should have listened to him," Chad told Gabriella. "When he said the pressure was too much. Should've believed him. Somehow we forgot that he was human."

"I'm right here Troy... Please hold on... please..." Gabriella's voice cried.

That's when the heart monitor's beeping subsided.

_Earth Spins and your mind goes round' (Golden, you are)_

_Green comes on the frozen ground, (Golden, Child, you are)_

Men dressed in dark suits and sunglasses held Troy's coffin up, as they lowered it into the ground.

Gabriella, Chad, Taylor, Zeke, Sharpay, Ryan, Kesli, Marta, Jack, Lucille, the entire East High basketball team from way back then, Troy's current basketball team and coach, Ms. Darbus, the drama department, people who wished they had known Troy, and anyone who even remembered Troy gathered around, all wanting to avert their eyes, but finding it impossible from the site.

Five later:

"I'm going to the cemetery," Gabriella told her new boyfriend.

Gabriella's boyfriend looked at her curiously.

"For who?"

"An very dear friend," Gabriella smiled, picking up the bouquet of red roses.

"You never mentioned that you knew someone who died."

"It's..." Gabriella's voice cracked.

Gabriella's boyfriend put his arm around Gabriella, and hugged her, and she cried into his shirt.

"I'll drive you there," Hetr boyfriend offered, not asking questions, knowing that Gabriella didn't need to be bombarded with questions.

Gabriella got out of the car, and sneezed from all of the pollen as her boyfriend went to park the car.

The grass was green, and flowers were in full bloom. It was days like this, were even in the most morbid places, flowers bloomed, that always amazed Gabriella.

And it was days like this one, where Gabriella wished more than anything for Troy.

_And everything will be made new again, (Golden)_

_Like freedom and spring, (Golden, Golden)_

Gabriella walked over to Troy's grave, the location she knew by heart, and spotted a young man with an afro standing there.

Chad looked up to see Gabriella standing there. They ran to each other, and hugged, not letting go.

"Sis," Chad murmured. "At least he's happy now. At least there's no more pressure."

Gabriella nodded, and knowing that Chad was right.

"I know."

Hey, like freedom and spring, (Golden, you are, hey,)

Like freedom and spring (Golden, Child, you are,)

"He's free now," Gabriella told Chad softly.

"Yeah," Chad agreed.

"_And he's soaring, he's flying, and there's not a star in heaven that he can't reach_," Gabriella recited.

Most people never would have predicted that Troy would have lost it from pressure. But that's the funny thing about life: it's twists are what make it interesting, and the end is what makes it all worth while.

_(Gold...)_

"And so he's breaking free," Chad sang back.

And for the first time since Troy's death, the two friends smile.

_Golden_

DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN ANYTHING! INCLUDING "GOLDEN" BY SWITCHFOOT, EVEN THOUGH I CHANGED JUST A FEW OF THE WORDS TO FIT THE FIC, AND "HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL".

A/N:

DID YOU KNOW... THAT THE TROY'S FALLING FROM THE WIDOW WAS TAKEN FROM "A SEPARATE PEACE" (DON'T OWN IT, BTW)? I DON'T WANT TO GIVE IT AWAY, BUT IF YOU'VE READ THE BOOK, THEN YOU'LL KNOW WHAT I MEAN.

I REALLY HOPE THAT YOU ENJOYED READING THIS FIC! I WORKED PRETTY HARD ON IT. I'VE HAD THE IDEA FOR A WHILE, SINCE I REALL LISTENDED TO THE SONG, AND JUST NOW WROTE IT (EVEN THOUGH I'M WAAAAY BUST TODAY).

ANYWAY, I HOPE THAT YOU LIKED THIS ONE- SHOT. AND PLEEEEEEAASE REVIEW, IF YOU'VE GOT EVEN A MOMENT!

THANKS!

- KATIE


End file.
